Typical home: Worth it

Solar in San Lorenzo, CA

With PG&E's electricity at about 40.5¢ per kWh and 1,608 kWh of sun per kW, solar is worth it for a typical San Lorenzo home today: about a 10.2-year payback.

Payback, typical home
10.2 yrsCalifornia: 10.9 yrs
25-year net
$24,311after paying $10,700
Sun
1,608kWh per kW per year
Electricity
40.5¢125% above U.S. average

A typical San Lorenzo home, by the numbers

UtilityPG&E
Electricity use405 kWh a month
Best-value system3 kW, about 7 panels, 4,823 kWh a year (99% of use)
Cost$10,700
First-year savings$961
Payback10.2 years
Exported power3.9¢/kWh (PG&E)

Cash purchase, no federal credit, 4.0% yearly rate increases. Run it with your own numbers.

Solar production per kW in San Lorenzo

kWh per kW each month, south-facing at 20° tilt. PVWatts v8 with local typical-year weather.

Show as a table
PeriodValue
Jan85
Feb105
Mar125
Apr157
May160
Jun174
Jul186
Aug171
Sep145
Oct122
Nov97
Dec82

Homes in San Lorenzo

Owner-occupied homes
67%
Single-family detached
78%
Median home value
$847k
Median year built
1955
Population
29,171
Solar installs, last 3 years*
272
Roofs suitable for solar†
96%

Census ACS 2020–2024. *Installations in public records for this area's ZIP codes. †Share of 7,254 buildings Google Project Sunroof rated technically suitable (2019 snapshot).

Older housing stock. Many homes here were built before 1975. Have the roof and electrical panel checked before signing; a roof or panel upgrade can add thousands. Roof first?

Installers working in San Lorenzo

Companies with the most installations in San Lorenzo's ZIP codes over the last 3 years, from public records. We don't take payment for placement.

  1. Sunrun 75 installs
  2. Bright OPS 33 installs
  3. Tesla Energy 19 installs
  4. Better Earth Electric 14 installs
  5. SunPower 13 installs
  6. Semper Solaris 9 installs
  7. Empower Electric Solar 8 installs
  8. ESP Contracting 7 installs
  9. Freedom Forever 7 installs
  10. Infinity Energy 5 installs

Always verify the license and get at least three quotes. Compare quotes side by side.

Questions about solar in San Lorenzo

Is solar worth it in San Lorenzo, CA?

For a typical home in San Lorenzo, solar is worth it at 2026 prices: a 3 kW system costs about $10,700 after state incentives, saves about $961 in year one and pays back in about 10.2 years. Enter your address for an estimate based on your roof and bill.

How much solar power does a system produce in San Lorenzo?

About 1,608 kWh per year for each kW of panels on a south-facing roof, based on PVWatts and local weather. That's 3% less than the California average. East- or west-facing roofs produce roughly 10–20% less.

Who is the electric utility in San Lorenzo?

Most homes in San Lorenzo are served by PG&E, at about 40.5¢ per kWh on average.

How much do solar panels cost in San Lorenzo?

A fair cash price is around $2.90 per watt before incentives, so about $10,700 for a 3 kW system. There's no federal tax credit for homeowners who buy in 2026.

Nearby

Data: PVWatts (National Laboratory of the Rockies), EIA-861 2025 adjusted to 2026, U.S. Census ACS, LBNL Tracking the Sun, state policy research as of October 2026.